My Best Mistake: Lauren States

Lauren States, 52, vice president of cloud computing client engagements at IBM, rose through the ranks thanks to an abundance of talent and an affinity for hard work. Although her abilities were apparent early in her career, she repeatedly turned down offers to move into management. States now says the experience she gained during those years has made her a better leader.

In 1974, I enrolled in the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. I had decided to pursue actuarial science, because I liked math and didn't want to be an accountant like my dad. I admired him, but I just wanted to spread my wings. After a couple of classes, I knew it was a huge mistake, so I decided to move to Plan B and see what computer programming was all about. I took a COBOL course my sophomore year and fell in love with technology. When I graduated, I got a job at IBM and started in their training program as a systems engineer.

I liked systems engineering, because it's a great intersection of technology and business. It involves working with clients to understand their business and technology requirements and devising plans for what they need. For one of my first projects, I helped design a decision support system [a computer application that analyzes data to assist in business planning] for a major movie studio. I also helped several large consumer goods companies choose the appropriate hardware and software. I loved working with these clients. The job was everything I could have asked for.

After a few years, my boss started talking to me about becoming a manager. The subject would come up whenever we met to discuss my career development, and I'd try to ignore it. In the technical community, there's a natural tension between being a practitioner and being a manager. I was adamant about remaining an engineer. I thought I'd lose the respect of my peers if I switched disciplines.

In 1982, I was promoted to advisory systems engineer, which is when the move to management usually occurs. But I still loved what I was doing and was interested only in the next promotion, to senior systems engineer. Two years later, I was named systems engineer of the year--which is very prestigious in our company--and attended the IBM Golden Circle recognition event in Hawaii. I had reached a certain pinnacle; now I really didn't want to change. I had no choice, however. The week after I won the award, my boss called me into his office and said, "Lauren, we're going to put you in the management program. You're going to start next week." So I resigned myself to finally making the move.

Many people would think it was insane to avoid the management career path for so long. But when you're technical, the culture reveres the best technician, not the best leader. I was caught up in that, because I was young and wanted to please the senior system engineers I worked with. I've since learned that leadership is just as important as an engineering specialty. Managers have a huge impact on clients who want to use technology to innovate and who need to know the best approach. At one point, I helped IBM's software business increase the number of technical professionals working with clients. The team I headed grew to 4,000 systems engineers--we now called them IT specialists or IT architects--which was far more profound than my ability to impact a few clients.

But being in a nonmanagement role for so long actually served me well. It gave me the time to build my technical skills and expertise. I needed those years to acquire the courage to step away from the group. You can't keep doing what you think other people want you to do. Everyone has something to offer that contributes to the whole.

One of my early managers had given me a copy of the performance plan for systems engineering managers that he used for his group. I remember telling my husband there was no way on earth I could perform that role. He responded that yes, I could. Managing people for the first time can be daunting, especially if you're supervising employees who are older than you. The level at which clients expect you to talk is quite different, too, and the accountability to the business is much more intense.

From my first day as a manager, I realized I loved the role. I had an amazing moment when I sat down behind that desk and it felt so natural. I've found that if you manage senior systems engineers who are older than you with respect, if you listen, are collaborative, and strategize together, you can synthesize the information and act. I remember the day the most senior person in the first group I managed came into my office. This man was also the crankiest employee in the group. He said, "I went and saw your boss, and I told him, 'This time you did good.'" I was pumped up by that. I said to myself, "I can do this."

--As told to Patricia R. Olsen

Patricia R. Olsen has written for the New York Times, Dealmaker, and other publications.